pioneers of aviation_ 17th century flight in istanbul

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Hezarafen taking off f rom atop the Galata Tower in Istanbul

Pioneers of Aviation: 17th Century Flight in Istanbul

One of the most enduring (and incorrect) accusations made about the Ottoman Empire is that it was

intellectually stagnant. Orientalist historians claim that the Ottomans saw science and religion as

mutually exclusive and incompatible, unlike earlier Muslim dynasties. While this accusation may be true for some time periods in Ottoman history, there were many examples of Ottoman scientific and intellectual

progress. One notable example is the attempts at human flight made by a pair of brothers in the 1600s in

Istanbul.

Hezarafen Ahmed Çelebi and History’s First Intercontinental Flight

The idea of humans having the ability to fly is an

enchanting one. For thousands of years, people from

all corners of the world have attempted to defy gravity

and soar like birds. Abbas ibn Firnas, a Spanish

Muslim inventor of the 9th century managed to achieve

un-powered glider flight in Cordoba in the 800s by

building a set of wings covered in bird’s feathers.

While his attempt was successful, his inability to slow

down led to a disastrous crash landing that probably

discouraged further attempts by enterprising inventors

like him.

In the 1600s, another brave man attempted to

succeed where Abbas ibn Firnas failed. Hezarafen

 Ahmed Çelebi was a polymath who lived in Istanbul during the height of the Ottoman Empire. In 1630, he buila set of glider wings that he could attach to his body. According to the Ottoman historian and traveler,

Evliya Çelebi, Hezarafen jumped from the top of the Galata Tower in Istanbul with his wings and managed to

glide across the Bosphorus strait to Doğancılar Square – about 2 miles away. Because of the height of the

tower and its position on top of a hill, Hezarafen had the necessary altitude to make a successful crossing of 

the Bosphorus.

Since the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul separates the continents of Europe and Asia, Hezarafen

 Ahmed Çelebi’s flight can be considered as the first intercontinental human flight in history. He was

rewarded for his achievement by Sultan Murad IV with gold coins, but was later exiled after numerous advisor

of the sultan convinced him that Hezarafen was a threat to the sultanate.

The First Rocket Flight

Perhaps inspired by the achievement of Hezarafen Ahmed Çelebi, his brother, Laragi Hassan Çelebi sought t

also defy gravity and reach the skies. In 1633 he built a rocket made for a human passenger. The rocket was

powered by over 300 pounds of gunpowder. According to Evliya Çelebi, to celebrate the birth of Sultan

Murad’s daughter, Laragi Çelebi tested his rocket at the shore of the Bosphorus, near the sultan’s residence

Topkapi Palace.

 After numerous assistants lit the fuses for his one of a kind rocket, Lagari soared up about 300 meters into

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 A 17th century engraving of Lagari Hasan Çelebi launching into the sky

the air. When his rocket ran out of fuel, he opened a

pair of wings he fashioned for himself, and gently

managed to glide down to the Bosporus, and then

swim to the shore. Like his brother, he was rewarded

for his achievement with a pouch of gold, and was also

made a cavalry officer in the Sipahi corps of the

Ottoman Empire. He likely died soon afterwards in

battle in the Crimea.

Bibliography:

al-Hassani, Salim. 1001 Inventions: The Enduring

Legacy of Muslim Civilization. Washington D.C. :

National Geographic Society, 2012. Print.

Morgan, M. (2007). Lost History. Washington D.C. :

National Geographic Society.